Ford Focus review

Introduction

They say all good things must come to an end: case in point, the Ford Focus. The original was something of a trailblazer and this fourth-generation version continues to sell well, but nonetheless production of the Focus will end in November.

We can understand if you’re surprised, but Ford has its reasons. Like a fair few car brands nowadays, it wants to focus (if you’ll pardon the pun) on SUVs and electric cars. We certainly knew Ford was serious in its sentiment when it axed the Ford Fiesta – which was the UK's best-selling new car for 12 consecutive years.

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What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)

1.0T EcoBoost MHEV ST-Line Hatchback 5dr Petrol Hybrid Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (125 ps)

Expected annual mileage	6000
Term months	48
Deposit months	12
Monthly payment	£268.57
Initial payment	£3,222.84

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• Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
• Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

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• Full manufacturer’s warranty
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£3,223 initial payment, 48 month contract, 6000 miles p/a. Subject to status and conditions.

• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
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• Road tax included

And with that, the Focus is destined to join the Fiesta in new car heaven, but until then you can still buy one. So should you – or are rival family cars better options?

Its closest competitor is arguably the similarly sporty Seat Leon but there’s also the super-spacious Skoda Octavia and the hybrid Toyota Corolla (named best family car at our 2025 Car of Year Awards). And don’t forget the famed Volkswagen Golf. Read on to find out how we rate the Ford Focus against its competitors...

What’s new?

- October 2021 - Facelifted Focus range has tweaked styling, improved SYNC 4 infotainment, and greater differentiation for Titanium, sporty ST-Line and rugged Active models

Overview

The Ford Focus family car has sharp handling, a comfortable ride and good refinement, but the engine range is a bit limited and some rivals are more competitively priced. If you do buy one, we recommend going for the entry-level 1.0 Ecoboost 125 mHEV in Titanium trim – although handling is even better on ST-Line versions, which have stiffer suspension.

Pros

• Great handling
• Well equipped
• Roomy rear seats

Cons

• Grey, cheap-feeling interior
• Seat Leon is more affordable
• Skoda Octavia has a much bigger boot

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

Engine, 0-60mph and gearbox

We really like the Ford Focus's entry-level 123bhp 1.0 Ecoboost 125 mHEV (meaning mild hybrid) petrol engine. It's not all that lively, with 0-60mph taking 10.4 seconds, but comes with a slick six-speed manual gearbox and has decent shove once the revs pass 2000rpm. Even so, the VW Golf 1.5 TSI 130 is punchier.

The other engine option – excluding the Ford Focus ST hot hatch, which we've reviewed separately – is the 1.0 Ecoboost 155 mHEV. With 153bhp, it feels slightly punchier, plus it reduces the 0-60mph time to 8.6 seconds.

The 155 mHEV is only available with an automatic gearbox that's a bit jerky at low speeds, although it shifts quickly and competently enough once you're on the move. Better automatics can be found in the Golf and Skoda Octavia.

If you don't want a mild-hybrid petrol, you'll have to look at other family cars. The Golf and other rivals offer a wider variety of engines.

Suspension and ride comfort

Whichever version of the Focus you choose, you'll find it has a firmer ride than a Skoda Scala, Toyota Corolla or Vauxhall Astra. Fundamentally, though, it's comfortable, with more compliance in its suspension than a Kia Ceed or Mazda 3.

Even the lower and stiffer ST-Line versions aren't bone-shakers, although you have to put up with greater firmness over sharper bumps and potholes. That's especially true on the ST-Line X because of its bigger alloy wheels (18in).

The SUV-inspired Active models go the opposite way, riding 30mm higher than the standard versions. The extra height means they have a bit more side-to-side sway over uneven surfaces than other versions.

Handling

If you want the best-handling Focus – without going for the ST hot hatch – choose the ST-Line or ST-Line X trim. The lower and stiffer suspension means body leans the least in corners, and you can make the most of the playful cornering balance and agility. The Seat Leon is the only family car that can offer keen drivers such thrills for similar money.

The less sporty trims lack some of the ST-Line’s cornering sparkle and lean a little more, but even the entry-level Titanium is more agile than the Skoda Octavia. The jacked-up Active X is tidy to drive by family car standards, despite its extra height.

All Focus models have quick steering that feels light around town. At higher speeds it weights up a bit to give you more information from the front wheels. We'd prefer it to become slightly heavier though, and there's an unnatural self-centring action to it.

Noise and vibration

The Focus's 1.0-litre engines thrum faintly in the background, but never become annoying and are quieter than a Leon or Golf 1.0 TSI 110 or 1.5 TSI 130.

At motorway speeds there’s some flutter from around the door mirrors but road noise is very well suppressed, making the Focus the most civilised cruiser in its class, even beating the Golf for peace and quiet.

“For me, the Focus has one of the most satisfying manual gearboxes this side of a Porsche Cayman GTS. Not only is the action short and slick, but it's also incredibly precise.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

Driving position and dashboard

The driver's seat in the Ford Focus is excellent, with manual height and lumbar adjustment fitted as standard across the range. The three X trims get a four-way adjustable electric driver’s seat with electric lumbar adjustment.

The steering wheel has loads of rake and reach adjustment, so it's easy to find a suitable posture. The alignment of the steering wheel, pedals and seat is nigh on perfect too. We also love the analogue driver's display you get on most trims because it's so clear and easy to read. X trims come with a clear 12.3in digital display that makes the optional head-up display seem an unnecessary expense.

Unfortunately, no versions come with physical controls for the air-conditioning so you have to adjust the temperature using the infotainment touchscreen. The Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Vauxhall Astra have all gone in the same direction, but the Mazda 3 has less distracting physical controls.

Visibility, parking sensors and cameras

The view out of the Focus is generally good and its front pillars are no more obstructive to your visibility than in any other family car. Over-the-shoulder visibility is good too, thanks to the big rear windows. The Active models sit a little higher but not enough to give a truly commanding, SUV-like driving position (for that, try the Ford Kuga and other family SUVs).

Front and rear parking sensors are standard on all trims. You don't get a rear-view camera as standard but you can add one as part of the optional Parking pack, which also includes parking assist to help guide you into spaces.

All trim levels get bright LED headlights as standard. The X trims give you the option of upgrading the headlights to matrix adaptive headlights that let you keep your main beam on without dazzling other road users.

Sat nav and infotainment

Regardless of trim, the Focus comes with a 13.2in touchscreen with a sharp display and decent graphics. It easily matches the offerings you’ll find in premium rivals and is much better than the Kia Ceed set-up.

The system includes DAB radio, Bluetooth, built-in sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. Wireless phone-charging comes as standard on X trims, as does an excellent B&O sound system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer. It’s a worthwhile upgrade for music lovers over the good, but not quite as rich-sounding, six-speaker set-up on other trims.

There are no physical controls for the infotainment system, which is a shame because relying solely on the touchscreen can be distracting when you try to operate it on the move. The system in the Mazda 3 is slightly more usable because of the rotary controller between the front seats.

Quality

Let's start with the good bits. The Focus’s interior feels reasonably sturdy and all its upper surfaces are pleasingly soft to the touch. Also, every model gets a leather-wrapped gearknob and steering wheel, and the door bins are carpeted on three sides to reduce the rattling if you put your keys in there.

It's not as impressive for fit or finish as the Mazda 3, Seat Leon or Skoda Octavia interiors though. The Focus has more flimsy bits and there are shiny plastics in prominent places, including around the gear lever and on the doors.

More effort has been put into the pricier versions, but no amount of faux-chrome, wood or carbon-fibre highlights can give the model the genuinely upmarket ambience of premium family cars.

“While you'll be comfortable behind the wheel, it's worth noting that you do sit quite high in the car. I like that but others will wish the driver's seat went lower.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

Front space

Even the tallest of drivers should be fine for space in the Ford Focus, and its leg, head and shoulder room are up there with the best family cars – although the Skoda Octavia provides slightly more head room.

There are lots of storage spaces dotted around, including a couple of cupholders and trays for your phone in the centre console. The door pockets and glovebox are a good size for the class.

Rear space

In previous versions the Focus lacked rear space, but the latest model is much more generous. It has even more leg room than the Octavia and a six-footer can fit easily behind a similar-sized driver. The Seat Leon is similarly generous in the rear and the Skoda Scala has even more room.

Another plus for the Focus is its almost flat rear floor, which makes life agreeable for a middle-seat passenger. Most rivals – including the Vauxhall Astra and the VW Golf – have a big hump that a middle passenger has to straddle.

Where fitted, the panoramic sunroof eats into head room, so if you fancy one but regularly transport tall rear passengers, make sure you try before you buy.

Seat folding and flexibility

The driver gets adjustable lumbar support, and manual height and tilt adjustment, but the front passenger misses out on lumbar and height adjustment – a disadvantage compared with the Octavia and Golf.

The rear seats split and fold in a 60/40 arrangement but there are no handy release levers by the boot entrance, as there are in some rivals. Instead, you have to open the rear doors to use the release levers on top of the seatbacks, which is a nuisance if you have your hands full.

Vignale trim cars get a useful ski hatch in the middle seat so you can carry long thin items (the Leon and Golf get one too).

Boot space

The Focus's 358-litre boot matches the Leon's for size but falls short of the non-PHEV Astra’s 422-litre capacity and is no match for the vast boot space in the Octavia. Regardless, fitting in a large pushchair shouldn't pose a problem, and we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf, which is one more than we could get in the Golf.

There’s a little lip at the boot entrance to heave items over and no option of a height-adjustable floor, but the space is a good square shape. If you opt for one of the X trims, you lose about one carry-on suitcase of capacity because of the upgraded sound system's subwoofer under the boot floor.

If load-carrying ability is a priority, you could consider the Ford Focus Estate.

“I think it's important to note that X trim version lose boot space because of the powerful stereo, although for some music lovers that'll be a price worth paying.” – George Hill, Used Car Writer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

Equipment, options and extras

Entry-level Titanium comes very well equipped, with all the visibility and infotainment kit, 16in alloy wheels, a heated windscreen, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, LED tail lights and cruise control. It’s the trim level we’d go for.

That said, if you want to complement the Focus’s sportiness, you should go for the ST-Line trim, which adds 17in alloy wheels, sportier styling, and lowered and stiffened suspension.

All trim levels except for Active X come with the option of an X upgrade, which adds premium leather seats, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and steering wheel, and wireless phone-charging. We don't think it's worth the extra costs. Active models will appeal to fans of SUV-inspired styling.

Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2

As a cash purchase, the entry-level Ford Focus will cost you less than a Vauxhall Astra, about the same as a Skoda Octavia and more than a VW Golf. You’d need to upgrade to the Golf’s 1.5 TSI 130 engine to get the price tags to match.

The bad news is that the Focus's higher depreciation than all three of those rivals could increase monthly payments if you buy on PCP finance, so it's worth making sure you get the best deal through our New Car Deals service.

The 1.0 Ecoboost 125 mHEV officially averages 54.3mpg, while the more powerful 1.0 Ecoboost 155 mHEV drops that marginally to 53.3mpg. Those figures make the Focus more efficient than a similarly powerful Golf, Seat Leon or Octavia. Emissions are very competitive for the class too, although for really low company car tax you're better off with a plug-in hybrid or electric car.

Reliability

Ford finished a respectable 15th out of 31 car makers in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – above Seat and Volkswagen but below Skoda and Toyota.

The Focus itself came ninth out of 25 cars in the family car section, above the rival Golf, Leon and Octavia.

Every Focus comes with a three-year warranty, which lasts for unlimited miles for the first two years but up to 60,000 miles (in total) in the third year. That’s nowhere near the seven-year warranty Kia offers, or Toyota’s 10-year, 100,000-mile policy (if you have it serviced annually at a Toyota dealer).

Safety and security

Euro NCAP gave the Focus five stars out of five for safety in 2019 but that rating has now expired. The model did well for protecting adults and reasonably well for protecting children in the rear, but lost marks because automatic emergency braking (AEB) wasn’t offered at the time of testing.

Since then, AEB has become standard equipment with every trim level. On top of that, you get lane-keeping assistance as standard. It’s a shame a driver alert monitor, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high beam and adaptive cruise control aren’t included as standard as they are on an entry-level Life trim Golf, but you can add them as part of the reasonably priced Driver Assist pack. Blind-spot monitoring is available as a standalone option.

All Focus models come with an alarm and immobiliser that’s rated in Category 1 by the security experts at Thatcham Research. That bodes well for it resisting being broken into and stolen.

“I can think of a couple of occasions in my driving life where I might have had an accident without AEB so it's great that it's now fitted across the Focus range.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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